When choosing your connection methods you need to be aware of the options.

The following methods are commonly used and available:

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.

Broadband DSL/ADSL Broadband Wireless (WI-FI) Dial-up Satellite Broadband Cable Mobile Broadband -GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications)

1.

Broadband DSL/ADSL
Disadvantages

Advantages

Always on connection Can use a telephone and Internet simultaneously Wide variety of speeds and prices. Large choice of service providers (ISPs)

Available only in limited areas but this is changing rapidly Speed vary widely Some providers have monthly download limits. ( 10GB per month is typical) Requires special termination equipment to be fitted by the telecom company at both ends of the telephone line. Exposes computer to Internet so you need to install firewall software. (Windows XP has a built in firewall).

2.

Broadband Wireless (WI-FI)

Disadvantages

Advantages

Always on connection when connected. Requires you to be in a wireless hotspot. Your ISP will provide a list of sites. Does not support wireless roaming. Large choice of service providers (ISPs)

Available only in limited areas usually public areas like airports, train stations etc Speed varies depending on signal quality. Exposes computer to Internet so you need to install firewall software. (Windows XP has a built in firewall). (see Internet computer security)

3.

Dial-up
Disadvantages

Advantages

Wide availability on cable networks

Sharing with neighbours poses some unique security risks and congestion problems

Relatively inexpensive

Router required for more than one computer Primarily for home users

4.

Satellite
Disadvantages

Advantages

Wide availability Can be used when on the move

Slow in comparison with ADSL Can be expensive

5.

Broadband Cable
Disadvantages

Advantages

Inexpensive Wide availability

Using a modem ties up a phone line Connection is not always on Slowest access method Security danger see rogue Internet diallers

6.

Mobile Broadband -GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications)

Disadvantages

Advantages

Lets you talk and surf simultaneously. Faster than 56kbps analogue Suitable for attaching more than 1 PC to the Internet ( 2-6 light users)

difficult to setup Available only in limited areas Requires special termination equipment to be fitted by the telecom company at both ends of the telephone line Outdated being replaced by DSL Not practical for more than 6 computers (depending on usage) Security danger see rogue Internet diallers

Advantages of domain name system?

DNS-based redirection has several advantages. The most visible one is that it achieves transparency without losing scalability. It is transparent because the clients are obliged to use the addresses provided by the authoritative DNS server, and cannot establish whether these addresses belong to the home machine of the service or to any of its replicas. DNS as a distributed name resolution service proved to be very efficient, even though the amount of people using it has increased tremendously with the growth of the Internet. Another vital advantage of using DNS to redirect clients is that it is a natural way of informing the clients about the service addresses. It is used by many existing network services, and is very likely to be used by those to come as well. Moreover, DNS is supported by a huge infrastructure of millions of DNS servers, capable of caching the answers our redirector generates. Once we make this infrastructure work for us, both efficiency and availability of our redirector considerably increase. One more important advantage of DNS is that it allows multiple replica addresses to be returned, enabling the client to choose one from them. The last advantage of DNS-based redirection is its good maintainability. Deployment of the complete redirection mechanism boils down to launching a single modified DNS server, and subsequently delegating a service domain to this server. From this moment on this server is responsible for answering requests for the service address. No other modification of the DNS infrastructure is necessary.